Improvement in stencil-plates



w. m. KELLIE.

StonoiI-Plate. No. 168,400, Patemedoctfs si-s,

Ta a] A 1 L v GE 6% o I wnuesses: 1/0

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

WILLIAM M. KELLIE, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STENCIL-PLATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 168,400, dated October5, 1875; application filed July 31, 1675.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M. KELLIE, of Nashville, in the county ofDavidson and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and ImprovedAdjustable Stencil-Plate, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top view, Fig. 2 avertical longitudinal section on the line 0 c, Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 avertical transverse section on the line 0000, Fig. .2, of my adjustablestencil-plates.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention has for its object to so connect the meeting edges of theletters of stencil-alphabets that any number of them may be quicklyjoined together to form the required stencil-plates, and be readilytaken apart again.

The invention consists of raised grooves formed at the right and lefthand edges of each stencil, to overlap and guide each other, and belocked together by spring-clasps at a level with the plane of theplates.

In the drawing, A represents the separate stencil letters or plates,which are provided at the right and left hand edges with grooves or,produced by bending or raising the edges above the plane of the stencilletter or plate. The raise of the edge grooves is of such a height thatthe under sides of the spring'clasps B, which look the plates together,are on a level with the plane of the stencil-letters. The groove on theleft-hand side of each plate fits over the raised right hand groove ofthe adjoining stencil, so that they may be readily slid together andlocked by the spring-clasps. The spring-clasps B are made ofspring-steel wire with flattened sides, bent together in V shape, withone leg fitting into the groove of the stencil-plates, the other bindingon the same. The end of the lower part is turned up to prevent theplates from sliding outward, while the end of the upper part is somewhatshorter and beveled at the under side to facilitate the entering anddetaching of the plates. When the plates are locked together they willlie flat on the package or object to be marked. Any requiredstencil-plates can thus be quickly put together, and as readily takenapart, so that by their use no special stencils are required.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. An adjustable stencil plate, made of stencilletters or characters, jointed by raised overlapping edge/grooves, andheld together by locking spring'clasps, fitting therein, substantiallyas described and shown, for the purpose set forth.

2. The locking spring-clasp, bent V shape, with turned-up end of lowerpart and beveled end of upper part, as and for the purpose Witnesses:

THOS. ABBOTT, PATRICK KILLLEN.

